Klaserie 25 by Klaserie Private Nature Reserve

September 2013 no. 25

Kroniek/Chronicle

Cricket and soccer legends support rhino conservation Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biting in the KPNR?

Delicate winged dragons of the sky The father of all hogs

inside|

photo Pieter Steenkamp Page kindly sponsored by Mike Anderson

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Inside

Corné’s

Keyboard

cannot believe time has once again eluded me and I am now officially celebrating my first anniversary at CET. It is humbling to look back on the past year’s achievements and I feel privileged to be part of an organisation and team that is so dedicated to making a positive impact on so many children’s lives by not only planting the seed to instil a positive environmental ethic, but also providing children with hope for a better future. In the last few months CET has been involved with quite a few international student volunteer groups, not only showcasing our beautiful country, but also involving them in community outreach projects. This promotes social responsibility and shows the youth that there is incredible value in being of service to others. Whilst interacting with these groups, I realised that though it is important to inform children about negative events happening around the world, it is imperative to show them what good has been done and can still be done to shape a bright tomorrow. It is these lessons that inspire them to continue to work and give back to their communities in order to make the world a better place. The CET office has once again been a whirlwind of activity and we are happy to report on exciting new projects such as the DHL library project at Seganyane Primary School and construction of the enviro loo units sponsored by The Green Savannah Tree Fund. Both projects play a major part in the development of the school and contribute greatly to create an environment that is safe and conducive to learning. Our faithful contributors have once again provided us with an array of interesting articles that will keep you entertained and informed. From information on social media on safari, common fish species in the KPNR, dragonflies in our area and a tale of a magical bush wedding for the true romantics at heart. As winter comes to an end and we’re about to be surrounded by a glorious celebration of life, may we all be inspired and energised by this transformation to tackle the rest of the year head-on. To look back on completed projects and feel revitalised to complete new ones. May we carry on to live, really live, by loving and giving back to this beautiful place we call home.

Corné

The Klaserie Chronicle is published quarterly and distributed to KPNR owners, as well as CET donors, partners and Chronicle advertisers. If you would like to send a contribution, please forward to admin@ecochildren.co.za or fax 086 628 8733

Cricket and soccer legends support rhino conservation ................. 3 Who is FGASA? ......................................................................................... 4 Smooth sailing at the KPNR AGM ........................................................ 4 A new library for Seganyane Primary School........................................ 5 Magical wedding memories ................................................................... 6 The father of all hogs................................................................................ 7 ATIO sponsors computer equipment ................................................... 7 Limpopo: a haven of rediscovery ........................................................... 8 Nkondzo wa yini? ..................................................................................... 10 Venomous snakes of the Lowveld.......................................................... 11 You get what you need............................................................................. 13 Gossamer-winged dragons of the sky................................................... 14 Old timer remembers: Photography in the early days ........................ 16 Social media for safari generates data for conservation .................... 17 Butterfly small 5 ....................................................................................... 18 What’s biting in the KPNR ...................................................................... 20 Sightings ................................................................................................... 22 White-crested helmet shrikes ................................................................. 24 True love lessons from Southern yellow-billed hornbills ................... 25 MTA volunteers show work is love made visible ................................ 26 Valuable lessons at senior MAD Charity summit ............................... 26 Foreign students help in Acornhoek ..................................................... 27 Green Savannah Tree Fund sponsors eight new toilets ..................... 28 Up close and personal at Moholoholo .................................................. 29 Save the birds: Celebrate Secretary Day ............................................... 30 Impala and the annual autumn rut ....................................................... 30 What a wonderful world .......................................................................... 31 Notices ...................................................................................................... 32

Klaserie Chronicle /Kroniek Team Editor: Corné Havenga Sub-editor: Catharina Robbertze Advertising and articles: Laura Craig Layout and design: Lynette Strauss Contributors Corné Havenga, Colin Rowles, Peter Lawson, Ivan Gillatt , Kate Carstens, Ian Sharp, Steve Woodhall, Donald Strydom , Judy Meeser, Tanya Zeelie, Rob Maclean, Bernard Stiglingh, Sean Fairhead, James Steyn, Rebecca Axcell, Trico Chiloane, Mashudu Mutshaeni, Matt Agranat, Mark Anderson, Linda van den Heever, Dr Hanneline Smit-Robinson Photographs Colin Rowles, Donald Strydom, Esté Gerber, Navarre de Villiers, Jacques de Villiers, Iwan Nel, Steven W. Evans, Ivan Gillatt, Ian Sharp, Allison Sharp, Pieter Steenkamp, Rob Maclean, Steve Woodhall, Justin Bode, Alan Gardiner, A Coetzer, Rebecca Axcell, Yvette Gilbert, Sean Fairhead, Sasha Strauss, Richard Goss, Wynand Uys, Kate Carstens

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Graeme Smith, captain of South Africa’s test cricket team.

Story by Rebecca Axcell, photos by Richard Goss

ricketing legends Mark Boucher, Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, along with 1996 AFCON winning soccer superstars Mark Fish and Mark Williams, recently visited Elephants Drift Safari Lodge and Tented Camp in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, to do their bit for rhino conservation. The guys teamed up with game capture experts, SA World Vets to dart and capture data of four white rhinos which were also added to the national rhino database. Mark Boucher became involved with rhino conservation when the SAB/ Boucher Conservation started funding the Rhinos in Safe Hands initiative. This initiative is organised by social enterprise, Wildcon Safaris and Events and aims to DNA profile all of South Africa’s 18 000 rhino and register them on the national rhino DNA database (RhoDIS). All this whilst raising awareness and funds through high profile celebrity events such as this one. The information collected on the

database can subsequently be used to assist in forensic prosecutions of rhino poachers. The teams arrived on Sunday and immediately went out on their first game drive, followed by an evening presentation from Wildcon Safaris Mark Boucher, recently retired and SA World Vets on the safety wicket keeper of the South procedures and what to expect the African test cricket team. following day. Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis of the South African test Monday morning saw a very cricket team with South African soccer star, Mark Williams. early start when the game capture helicopter arrived. Seven strenuous hours spent in the heat and dust later, the weary sportsmen arrived back at Elephants Drift Main Camp for a wellearned brunch. They were tired but ecstatic to have safely DNA sampled four rhinos. Brunch was followed by interviews with the onsite film crew from e-TV and a short rest, before the adventure continued with another game drive and a magical evening bush dinner. As the guys headed off on Tuesday, Mark Boucher tweeted: “@ ElephantsDrift thnks for an amazing experience and awesome hospitality! 1 of the most spectacular properties I have eva seen!”.

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Who is FGASA? By James Steyn

GASA stands for Field Guides Association of Southern Africa and is the most recognised field guide standard setting body in South Africa. The company was formally established in 1990, by a group of professional guides aiming to set a standard for nature guiding practice. FGASA aims to promote a culture of professional guiding based on a strong ethical, wellinformed, safety conscious approach that provides the visitor to Southern Africa with a pleasant and memorable experience. The organisation promotes guide standards and qualifications by means of a qualification structure based on various levels. One can start with an introductory Level I and progressively move through to a Level II and a Level III. There are also specialist qualifications based on specific topics such as birds, flowers, approaching dangerous game on foot as well as marine guiding and rifle handling. FGASA promotes the highest standard of guide assessment by appointing and registering fully qualified and experienced assessors. Once a guide has written and passed the theory exam for any level a practical assessment is conducted by one of the appointed FGASA assessors. Once the practical is also passed the guide will be awarded the qualification. If anyone in the Klaserie wishes to learn more about FGASA and what they stand for, contact James Steyn, the FGASA Regional Chairman for the Limpopo North region on 015 001 7025 or 072 800 1938.

Reuben Motloutsi, Constance Thabane, Eckson Malibe and Mixo Chauke received long service awards at the AGM.

Smooth sailing at KPNR Story and photos by Colin Rowles

he Annual General Meeting of the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve (KPNR) was held on Saturday, 13 July. As was the case with last year’s meeting, the event was held in the gardens of the reserve’s headquarter complex. The flowering aloes in the garden were a spectacle, the weather played along, skies were blue and the wind breathless. As is synonymous with Klaserie, the meeting was held in good spirit and all the

formalities were taken care of in good time. The usual award ceremony was dominated by the awarding of long service awards to a number of staff members. Corné Havenga, CEO of the Children’s Eco Training project provided members of the reserve with a presentation highlighting the various achievements that this wonderful program had achieved during the year. The guest speaker, Prof Kevin Rodgers concluded the proceedings with an extremely interesting and thoughtprovoking talk, following which the members in attendance were treated to a scrumptious meal, prepared by Ann Storm. The formalities of the AGM present the opportunity for the members to elect the reserve’s Executive Committee. Following the meeting, the Committee remains unchanged from that of last year. Mike Anderson and John Braithwaite were elected by the members of EXCO to serve as chairman and vice chairman respectively. Guest speaker, Prof Kevin Rodgers.

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BEFORE

AFTER DHL moving things forward

A new library for Seganyane Primary School Story by Laura Craig and photos by Esté Gerber

ollowing the success of a volunteer project attended by the DHL Supply Chain from Gauteng in October 2012, the organisation returned to Mpumalanga on 31 July to continue their good work. A team of DHL volunteer staff members led by Olande Stols travelled to Seganyane Primary School near Acornhoek to convert an old classroom at the school into a much-needed library. The project formed part of the company’s GoTeach programme and was organised and facilitated by Children’s Eco Training (CET) CEO, Corné Havenga. The GoTeach programme is managed by DHL’s Corporate Social Responsibility Department and, amongst others, aims to improve the quality of education and

educational systems. The library will be jointly managed by CET staff members and teaching staff at the school to ensure learners receive full benefit of the new facility. New educational programmes will be implemented and managed by CET staff to add to the functionality of the library. Furthermore, the school principal, Mr Eckson Raganya said he would ensure a media period is incorporated into learners’ timetables for the library to become a key tool in the school’s strategy and improve their first additional language. Havenga said she believes the library will add great value to the learners’ educational environment and learning experience. “We at CET are convinced that this new addition to the school will contribute to creating a culture of

reading at Seganyane and enhance each and every child’s language ability. On behalf of CET and Seganyane Primary School, I would like to extend our thanks to the DHL group and their staff for their excellent work, continued support and commitment to CET’s ongoing projects. We hope this partnership will continue long into the future.” School principal, Eckson Raganya and Rob Ballantine of DHL Supply Chain during the opening of the Seganyane Library

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Magical wedding memories

Story by a loving mom , photos by Yvette Gilbert he 4th of May dawned with a fine mist lining the Klaserie River, heralding the promise of a glorious day. This was the dream wedding day of Cheryl and James; daughter of Jen and the late Murray Howson, and son of Fred and Erika Boulton. Cheryl was a radiant bride, elegantly attired in a cream princess styled gown of exquisite Spanish lace; carrying a simple bouquet of white proteas, heather and echeverias. She was attended by three bridesmaids: Sarah Alexander, Nicola Couperthwaite and Angela King - three great school friends. They were charming in soft, dusky pink chiffon. James completed the family circle by having his brother, Matthew as his best man and Cheryl’s two brothers, Warren and Craig as his groomsmen. 80 guests assembled under the tranquil canopy of an ancient Nyala tree on the river bank for the ceremony, conducted by Rev David Bertram from the Hoedspruit Community Church. Cousin, Angela Clarke read the verse:”The Land of Serendip”, written by her mother, Mary Crookes – well loved by many Klaserie members; which set the tone for the special magic that captured the day. The guests walked back to Dover Camp, which commands a magnificent sweeping view of the Klaserie River, where they

enjoyed a picnic style lunch seated under the shady Tambuti trees of the 70-year-old, Kruger Park rondavel-styled camp. GT Lundie, of Zest Catering in Nelspruit, presented a delicious spread of quiches, canapés, assorted cold meats, cheeses and breads. The tables were decorated with an unusual collection of succulents and aloes planted in the family silver and glassware. Large picnic baskets of breads, wines and proteas transported from the Cape and Kwazulu-Natal graced the centre of the tables. The three tier cake was baked as a wedding gift by Sarah Alexander and exquisitely iced with delicate proteas. After lunch, all the guests returned to their surrounding lodges on a sundowner game drive, while the bride and groom donned their vellies and clambered up a rocky koppie to have their sunset photos taken under an old fig tree, in true Bushveld style. Dover Camp was then transformed into a fairyland of hurricane lanterns and glowing rooibos bonfires, as guests returned to share the couple’s first braai and dance under a large Bedouin tent. The excitement and magic of the day was heightened as many guests had wonderful sightings of leopard, hyena and lion, all of which also approached camp to enjoy the party music and tantalising braai aroma. Guests left the KPNR the next day, describing the event with words like “so beautiful”, “magical”, “very special” and “unique” and the bride gave her mom the ultimate compliment: “Thank you, Mom. The wedding surpassed my wildest dreams!”

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The father of all hogs

Chris van der Sande, CEO of ATIO and Corné Havenga, CEO of CET.

ATIO sponsors computer equipment

Story and photos by Colin Rowles

pending time in a beautiful unspoilt natural environment, such as the Klaserie, allows us the opportunity to get to know individual animals, particularly those that are territory bound or have specific home ranges. I’ve come to know one particular character that I look out for every time I pass the old airstrip, midway between the headquarters and Incheni Gate. He’s perhaps not the most handsome, but certainly the boldest and the bravest warthog boar around. He’s a lean, mean, short grass eating machine and battle scarred from years of surviving in a harsh and dangerous environment. With his sloping forehead, squinting little eyes and shovel snout he crops the short grass, oblivious of the passing traffic nearby. His broken tusk and torn floppy ear lay testimony to many battles with rival hogs, no doubt for the two sows and their six fat little piglets, which graze not far away. A few years ago I was blessed with the opportunity of watching this cunning chap outsmart a large leopard, which had plans to hang him in a tree somewhere. Little did the leopard know that this pig was of good stock, having inherited acute survival instincts that would see him through many life threatening challenges. Keep a lookout for this “Old Father Time”, when you next pass his turf. But please excuse the fact that he always poses for photos with his butt towards the camera.

By Corné Havenga

nformation and communication technology is one of the fastest developing technological fields in global society. There is a growing need to educate people on the benefits and influence of computers and technology. Improved computer literacy will empower the rural population to explore the benefits and opportunities offered by technology in education, employment, communication, information and trade, thereby promising a better future for their children and themselves. Children’s Eco Training (CET) realises the positive impact technology can have on education. Enabling learners to have access to resources like these increases their employability as well as earning potential since one cannot survive in today’s technology-driven world without knowing how to operate a computer. For this reason the CET team members were delighted when Chris van der Sande, CEO of the specialist IT service provider ATIO, contacted CET for a possible donation of used computer equipment as well as new laptops for students supported by CET. The second-hand computers are designated to form part of a future CET initiative to implement IT centres at CET’s adopted schools. Two new laptops were also given to two dedicated ex-Klaserie Kidz who have returned to CET as student trainers and are both enrolled at tertiary institutions pursuing higher qualification in their respective fields. Both students were extremely grateful and immediately expressed how it will improve the quality of their assignments and enable them to improve their grades. The CET team would like to thank ATIO for enabling us to continually expand educational facilities in the local area and providing children with hope of a better future. Keith Ndhlovu with Trico Chiloane and Queen Manyike of Children’s Eco Training.

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Limpopo

By Steve Woodhall

einier Terblanche discovered Juanita’s Hairtail in 1990, as pupae, underneath a rock at Manoutsa Park Holiday Resort near Abel Erasmus Pass. For years these six pupae, described as Anthene juanitae after Reinier’s wife, were the only specimens known. Many lepidopterists, myself included, spent many frustrating hours looking for it in the area, to no avail. By the time the South African Butterfly Conservation Assessment (SABCA) project was finished the butterfly had been reassigned as a subspecies of Anthene crawshayi, a species found further north but still very rare. Our local subspecies was categorised as Critically Endangered, Possibly Extinct. But then, in November 2011, Dr Alan Gardiner of Hoedspruit’s Southern African Wildlife College found adults at the same site. This was exciting news, the butterfly was off the ‘Possibly

A haven of rediscovery

Extinct’ list at last! But it was still only known from one single locality – so still under extreme threat. And then... that man again, Prof. Mark Williams, found a strong colony in Lekgalameetse Nature Reserve in January 2012. Unlike the rediscovery of Waterberg Copper, in which he used Google Earth and careful observation of areas that were similar to the original locality, this was a piece of pure, undiluted luck. The butterflies were drinking at mud puddles along the Makutsi Camp Main Gate road in the reserve. There were lots of Common Hairtails, Anthene definita, around and Mark was cursorily looking at them, when he noticed the Juanita. He recalls: “I froze. It was immediately obvious that this was not a Common Hairtail, since the underside was much darker and there were three discal bars on the underside of the forewing, instead of the two found in definita.” Finding a second locality for a rarity like this was incredible news. Since

Wolkberg Zulu, Alaena margaritacea. Photo by A Coetzer

then, the early stages have been found and it appears that the butterfly may be found in many of the deep kloofs and valleys along the eastern foot of the Wolkberg escarpment. Many of these are difficult to access, perhaps one of the reasons why Juanita’s Hairtail remained unseen for so long. But that isn’t the only amazing record Mark has made from Lekgalameetse. This reserve is one of the most butterflyrich areas of Limpopo, rivalled only by places like Mpaphuli Cycad Reserve in the Soutpansberg. Back in 2008 the Lotana Blue, Lepidochrysops lotana, was red listed as Critically Endangered, and had not been seen at the original locality at Ysterberg between Polokwane and Mokopane for over 20 years. Notwithstanding a doubtful record from the western Wolkberg, the butterfly was generally considered possibly extinct. Until Mark took his extended family for a reunion at Makutsi Camp, in October 2008.

Anthene crawshayi juanitae, Juanita’s Hairtail, found at the base of Abel Erasmus pass. Photo by Alan Gardiner.

(Left) The upperside of a female lotana blue, Lepidochrysops lotana. Photo by Justin Bode.

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(Right) A female lotana blue, Lepidochrysops lotana snapped at The Downs on 13 October 2011 by Steve Woodhall.

Could it be a lotana? Going for a morning walk in fine weather up on The Downs, the glorious montane grasslands above Lekgalameetse, he found King Blue, Lepidochrysops tantalus, to be common there as had been noted by other lepidopterists. But then another blue flew past a few metres in front of him. “My immediate reaction was that it was another tantalus but something did not gel. This critter was too large, too pale and had a more steady flight than the erratic flight of tantalus. Catching it and seeing the flat grey underside colouration as well as the small basal black spots on the hindwing underside I knew this was not a tantalus. It looked like a lotana, but could it be? Here of all places?!” It sure was. And the colony was sufficiently strong and widespread that in the new SABCA red list it is now Endangered, no longer critically so. The Lepidochrysops blues are among our most charismatic small butterflies; in fact some are amongst the largest blues in the world. Flying rapidly amongst the flower-bedecked short green grasslands of their home, these wonderful insects are a great reason to visit Limpopo’s mountains in spring. This all makes it look as though Lepidoptery Society (LepSoc) members have all the fun of finding rare butterflies and making amazing discoveries. But that is not always the case. We tend to live a long way from the places these insects fly, and find it difficult to get to these areas during the often very short flight period. The answer is to get the locals into the act, as was the case in the rediscovery

of Wolkberg Zulu, Alaena margaritacea. This was without a doubt one of our most endangered butterflies, like Waterberg Copper, known from only one small spot threatened by encroaching exotic tree plantations. For 50 years the lepidopterist community had only known of the type locality near Haenertsburg. For the past few years LepSoc members and custodians André and Bennie Coetzer had been searching for new localities in the area without any luck. So they contacted as many locals as they could and asked them to keep an eye out, at the right time of year. Just after New Year 2013, Sylvie KremerKöhne, a local Haenertsburg botanist André had primed to watch out for it, sent him a photo of a butterfly she had photographed in the Wolkberg about 12km south east of the known locality which looked very much like Wolkberg Zulu. André and Bennie set off the next weekend with Justin and Yolande Bode to verify the record, despite wet and misty weather. They climbed the hill in thick cloud, not feeling very hopeful, and poked around the rocks and wet grass. Amazingly, Yolande found one! It may be that this butterfly has several colonies in the high Wolkberg, waiting to be uncovered by hikers and lepidopterists. Other colonies of Waterberg Copper, Juanita’s Hairtail and Lotana Blue may also lurk in their mountain fastnesses. Other provinces may have more endangered butterflies, such as the Western Cape which has 10 Critically Endangered species, two of which are possibly extinct, but none has been as successful as Limpopo in discovering new localities for its rarities!

Limpopo’s rare butterflies in the news

n the previous Klaserie Chronicle we reported on the sensational rediscovery of Waterberg Copper Erikssonia edgei inside Bataleur Nature Reserve near Bela Bela. Since then it has been made public that the area is under threat from mining for tin, molybdenum and fluorspar. An Australian/ Malaysian mining house has, via a South African company, Mogul Share Investments (Pty) Ltd, successfully applied for a prospecting licence on the farm Rietfontein less than 5km down the road from the Bateleur Nature Reserve main entrance. It appears the process was done quietly, with possible concealment of the real target, and conser vation bodies only becoming aware once it was a fait accompli. The owner of Bateleur, Wouter Schreuders, has vowed to fight this all the way, and LepSoc Africa is with him.

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Nkondzo wa yini?

however, believe that with the help of an experienced tracker or mentor the duration of this learning process can be drastically rackers play a vital role in the shortened compared to if you would try to game lodge industry, especially learn it on your own. at lodges that can boast with the The eldest of the lodge’s three trackers, Big 5. Finding animals such as lions and Nyathi is probably the best at identifying leopards can be quite challenging at the tracks and signs and has a wealth of bush best of times and merely driving around knowledge. He doesn’t speak a word of and hoping to eventually find them is not English and is still very much traditional always the most effective method. in his ways. I have great respect for this The tracker, who man and it is a pity that I cannot sits on the nose of understand everything that he the game viewing tells or tries to teach me. vehicle, is constantly When Nyathi plays his scanning the Xizambi, a traditional Tsonga surrounding bush mouth bow, it is as if you are and road ahead, transported along with him and looking for signs his thoughts to a time long past, of animal activity a time that is forever lost and and his speciality: forgotten. The ethereal sound of tracks. It is the the Xizambi allows the present abrupt raising of to become a memory and your the tracker’s right mind wanders to a time and hand that makes the place where men hunted for vehicle come to a their food with spears and big Hanyani Phangweni (Nyathi). Photo by Iwan Nel stop, and the words bows with poisoned arrows; “U vonile yini?” where honeyguides led you to Aardvark spoor. Korhaan spoor. (What do you see?) is wild hives and cocooned ankle Photo by Iwan Nel Photo by Iwan Nel answered by “Yingwe rattles shook wildly as warriors nkondzo” (Leopard danced by hardwood fires at spoor). After a quick night. It’s a poignant place to explanation is given be, for I know that I will never to the curious guests, know that time, nor the feeling the tracker and guide of true freedom. go on bended knee Tracking is integral to the to discuss the fresh hunter-gatherer existence, set of leopard tracks which is globally an almost and whether or not extinct way of life. If the easily learn to identify the vast majority of to pursue. traditions of the Shangaan/Tsonga tracks on your own without any assistance The majority of the trackers in the people were to disappear then not only or mentor. Lowveld are of Shangaan/Tsonga origin, will their tracking skills be lost forever Trailing animals effectively is quite a group of people found in north eastern but also their vast knowledge of the local something else though and requires years South Africa, Mozambique and southeast fauna and flora. Even in contemporary Zimbabwe. Traditionally, these people were of practical experience to successfully books on plants and trees there is little master. Some of the aspects of trailing hunter-gatherers, seeing as they occupied information on their ethnobotanical uses. can be found in tracking books and can areas that were infested by Tsetse fly and It’s imperative that we preserve what little shed a bit more light on the subject but therefore could not raise much livestock. information is left on tracking and the it is really about going out and learning Needless to say, Shangaan/Tsonga boys ethnobotanical uses of plants in this ever to physically track down animals. I do are taught the skills of tracking and bush evolving modern world.

Story by Bernard Stiglingh, photos by Iwan Nel

craft from an early age. When I arrived in the Klaserie three months ago to start my career as a field guide, there were three men working as trackers at the lodge. From day one the myriad of tracks on the ground interested me and I never hesitated to ask whichever tracker I was with: “Nkondzo wa yini?” meaning “What kind of spoor is that?” I’m convinced that with the correct books on tracking and a healthy interest and curiosity one can

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Venomous Snakes of the Lowveld

[Part One]

The Cobras Story and photos by Donald Strydom

obras belong to the large group of snakes called elapids or the family Elapidae which are divided into two subfamilies, the terrestrial elapinae such as cobras, and the hydrophiinae such as aquatic sea snakes. All cobras are venomous and have short fixed fangs situated towards the front of their mouths. All true cobras are oviparous meaning they lay eggs. Cobras, like any other venomous snakes, are born fully developed with venom that can kill from day one. Luckily for us, cobras are fast moving agile snakes that manage to escape quickly enough without having to bite. If cornered, cobras would rather spread their hoods in defence,

The Mozambique Spitting Cobra, Naja mossambica.

making themselves look larger and more threatening to warn us. Failing this, some cobras spit or eject their venom at us to temporarily cause blindness in order to escape. Sometimes the cobra will pretend to be dead hoping that its enemy becomes bored and leaves it alone. There are only two true cobra species found in the Lowveld and the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, the snouted cobra, Naja annulifera (formally the Egyptian cobra) and the Mozambique spitting cobra, Naja mossambica. Sometimes it can be confusing when trying to identify these snakes as they often vary in colour from pitch black, black and yellow banded, uniform yellow or brown and even yellow brown speckled. This often leads people to believe that there are many more than just two cobra species found in our area. continue on page 12

12 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25 The snouted cobra HIGHLY VENOMOUS Naja annulifera Sometimes referred to as a Bushveld cobra or in Afrikaans, Die Bosveld Kapel. This full-bodied snake can grow to a hefty 2.5m in length, making it one of our largest South African cobras. The snouted cobra is not territorial and therefore will not protect or defend an area but does live within a home range, sometimes for many years. These beautiful snakes are mostly active during the day and early evening, hunting under cover for mice, amphibians as well as the odd bird or lizard. Very few people have any real problems with this reclusive cobra that would rather quickly dart down its burrow at the first signs of approaching danger.

The snouted cobra, Naja annulifera.

The Mozambique spitting cobra HIGHLY VENOMOUS Naja mossambica People in the area sometimes confuse this true cobra with the rinkhals found mostly in the Highveld around Gauteng. This is a more delicately built snake than the snouted cobra, reaching a maximum length of about 1.2m. These common cobras are often found around peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homes, living in store rooms, sheds and garages as well as living areas. They are quick, alert snakes and will always first try and make a hasty escape. If cornered, they will stand up in defence and spread a spectacular hood, displaying their pinkish throat with black bands. The Mozambique spitting cobra will spray venom should a potential enemy ignore this pose and still approach. For this reason many dogs are spat at or sometimes bitten while trying to kill this cobra. Venom in the eyes normally only causes temporary blindness but must be rinsed out gently with water. Do not use milk as this will further agitate the problem.

The Mozambique spitting cobra, Naja mossambica.

Coming up: Venomous snakes of the Lowveld part 2: the black mamba

Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25 |13

You get what you need Story by Kate Carstens

y leadbeateri locating-skills were put to the test in July when a researcher from North West University visited us with one simple request: to see a group of ground hornbills. He had travelled the entire Limpopo River Valley without seeing a single one and this was his last pit stop before returning home. He had one day and it was July. These birds utilise their territories to the full, trying to find good foraging areas in this lean time of the year, so finding them in midwinter was going to require a bit of luck. Before I scribble on, here is an estimate of how often I see ground hornbills by chance. That is, not actively going out to listen for them or calling them in, but rather the frequency of sightings I have had which have occurred by chance alone: one sighting for every 3700km driven, equivalent to driving the dirt road between Incheni Gate and Klaserie HQ 275 times! So the possibility of seeing the birds by chance was not impossible, but quite small indeed. I selected a location from which I have regularly heard a group and set out early in the hopes of hearing them call before dawn. We were out there in the morning winter chill, hugging our coffee cups. Waiting, listening, hoping. Five, ten, then 30 minutes went by. Not a peep. The sun rose and we waited a little longer in the hopes that the birds might have given us a delayed performance. A few minutes after sunrise I heard a distant “hu hu hu-hu-hu”, followed by another. But there was no calling them in, even after several attempts, they were simply too far. It was up to the following morning or bust. We left to continue our field day, surveying vulture and raptor nests with Elephants Alive. The whole day passed by and on our return leg in the late afternoon I opted to use the Argyle tar road down to Enkhulu Gate for a change of scenery. Not five minutes down the tar road and who should I encounter but Keer Keer group foraging on the side of the road! Five birds, so the whole group of four plus a recent addition from the Senalala group. Steven got some great photos while I concentrated on getting ring combinations and observing behaviour as they continued foraging in the short grass in southern Ross. “You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, well you just might find, you get what you need.” – Mick Jagger

Photo taken by Dylan McCormick

Keer keer southern ground hornbill group foraging. Photo taken by Steven Evans.

14 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25

Gossamer-winged dragons of the sky Story by Ian Sharp, photos by Ian and Allison Sharp

e have all at some time sat and watched the antics of dragonflies at a waterhole or other water source. These masters of the sky have unique characteristics that enable them to successfully inhabit many types of aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Many are spectacularly coloured and easy to spot while those having a more terrestrial lifestyle are cryptic and well camouflaged against surrounding substrates. In South Africa there are only 90 known species of dragonflies and 68 species of damselflies. A number of characteristics need to be considered when identifying dragonflies but wing venation is probably the most useful and a sometimes indispensable tool. Wingspan varies drastically from smaller than 40mm to about 130mm in the black emperor, our largest species. The common names of dragonflies are colourful, descriptive and often what fairy tales are made of. Nitles such as phantomflutterer, monkshood dropwing, don-dwala, alto-rouge, Guinea skimmer, corkskrew hooktail, yellowjack and forest-watcher are enough to whet your appetite to better get to know these masters of the sky.

Red-veined Dropwing

Tigertail

Dragonfly or damselfly? Dragonflies and their close relatives, damselflies, belong to the group of insects known as Odonata, meaning toothed jaw. Another insect group, Neuroptera, which includes all the ant

Don-dwala dragonfly

lion types, should not be confused with Odonata. The differences between dragonflies and damselflies are quite pronounced. Damselflies have the ability to fold their wings back over their long slender bodies but the dragonfliesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; wings are generally in the horizontal position at ninety degrees to the body or slightly forward and down. Fore- and hind wings of the damselflies are similarly shaped while those of the dragonflies generally differ extensively.

Pantala The compound eye position on the head also differs, with almost all dragonflies having exceptionally large eyes that meet in the middle on top of the head. The eyes of damselflies are well separated on opposite sides of the head.

Unique adaptations Male dragonflies have a unique characteristic of secondary genitalia (sperm storage pouch) near the thoracic area of the body. Sperm is transferred to this area prior to mating. The female will be clasped behind the head by the male. The male will settle in a suitable position, still clasping the female

Papillio cenera

Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25 |15

Females deposit their eggs in a number of ways and always near a water body. Some may drop the eggs directly, others deposit the eggs by touching the water, some species place the eggs on vegetation and some even bore into vegetation to deposit their eggs. I have seen a female dragonfly depositing eggs on the bonnet of my car – probably

are external. As these nymphs are predatory they have special adaptations to ensure their survival. The lower lip has been modified to form a grasping organ that can be extended to grab prey, operating similarly to the mechanical arm of a JCB tractor. The rapid movement needed to catch prey is enhanced by the ability to rapidly expel water from the anus. Prey includes many small aquatic organisms such as tadpoles, fish fry, insects and worms. The lifecycle does not include a pupal phase as is found in many other insect groups. The larval nymph develops directly into the adult; a process known as hemimetabolous or incomplete development. They will emerge from the water body and climb up vegetation or rocks to start another one of nature’s miracle transformations. From the aquatic nymph the immature, soft bodied adult or teneral emerges. At this point the dragonfly will find a safe place to rest while the body and wings harden. When the adult is patrolling the skies for prey in its hardened body all that remains of this amazing event are the skins or ‘shucks’

your shadow close to the ground. This unexpected tail is probably hawking insects that are disturbed by your passing! Dragonflies are predators hunting down prey generally smaller than themselves. Small damselflies may only prey on insects such as flies, mosquitoes and midges – something to be supported and promoted in the Lowveld. Unlike other insects, the legs of dragonflies are positioned close to and below the head. The legs are armed with long spines so that when prey is snatched from the air, this ‘basket’ encases the prey enabling the dragonfly to feed without the chance of losing its prey. Some species devour their prey on the wing while others settle on a perch to feed. Not unlike a helicopter, the flight abilities of many dragonflies are astounding. Their hunting abilities are strengthened by their capabilities of flying forwards, backwards, up or down and hovering and the largest dragonfly is capable of bursts of speed up to 70 km/h. These insects with all their unique characteristics are worthy of taking some extra time to admire the next time you happen upon one.

thinking my green-coloured vehicle was a mobile, algae-infested pool of water! The eggs, wherever laid, hatch into small pronymphs that quickly moult in the water into the normal feeding nymphs comically known as naiads. Their aquatic lifestyle requires that these creatures have gills to breathe. The gills of dragonfly nymphs are internal while that of damselfly nymphs Male boomslang

attached to the various substrates. The distinctive colouring of different species will only develop a week or two into adult life. Dragonflies are temperature dependent and will therefore only be active during summer months and on days that are suitably warm. Walking in the bush away from water one may be surprised to find dragonflies following in

(Above) Stages of emergence for a teneral adult dragonfly.

who is then suspended in mid-air. The female then bends her abdomen down and forward to the secondary genitalia locking onto the male in a position known as the tandem wheel. During this gymnastic coupling, sperm is transferred to the female and the eggs fertilised. Mating pairs can often be seen perched on twigs and reeds or even flying in this awkward position.

References: Tarboton, W. & M. Tarboton. 2002. A fieldguide to the dragonflies of South Africa. Tarboton & Tarboton, Nylstroom. Scholtz, C. H. & E. Holm. 1985. Insects of Southern Africa. Butterworth Publishers, Durban.

. . . . . . . . . . . . An old timer remembers

Photography in the early days Waterholes from behind the camera

Photo by Simon Roberts

16 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25

uring our visits to Northampton in the 1950s I enjoyed finding suitable viewing spots where herds of game drank regularly and setting up my 16mm cine camera to record what came down to drink. One particular July I was keen to record giraffe drinking as I had not been able to take them before. That year they frequented a place on the Klaserie River towards the Kent boundary. There was a suitable leafy tree on

it was as if I wasn’t there. Later a herd of wildebeest with a few zebra came down and I had the satisfaction of filming them as well. The two photos show both giraffe and wildebeest drinking. Another time the river flow had moved to the right bank to near my tree hide and wildebeest were drinking just in front of that tree so we made a small reed hide among the reeds facing the tree. Remember during those years there were no buffalo on Northampton, they were only first seen during 1962, and one had

the right bank overlooking this drinking place so I climbed up to a convenient branch and arranged small branches to form a hide. One had to be in place about 9am so as not to disturb anything that might be coming down even though the giraffe would only drink nearer to midday. Working from a hide is not as easy as it might seem. Very important is the wind direction, lack of noise and lack of any movement that might attract attention. This day all went well. I was in place in good time with nothing about to take fright. At last a group of giraffe appeared on the opposite bank, they stood around and surveyed the scene. Satisfied that there was no danger, they started to move into the riverbed and towards the water. I started filming thinking all was well but the leader, a bull, must have picked up the sound or seen some movement in the tree as he had only got about halfway to the water when he stopped and looked straight at where I was ‘hidden’, stared for a moment and turned round and galloped off with the others with him. When a giraffe does that he makes quite a noise. That was that for the day and as we were packing up camp shortly I was not able to have another try that year. The following July that drinking place was still in use so I returned. This time I made sure I was adequately hidden from view and kept absolutely still and did not dare to look directly at the giraffe approaching. I waited until the giraffe had done their preliminaries and until the old chap had started drinking before I set the camera rolling. What a relief, they were so settled that

to go to Dundee to find an elephant, but one had to be mindful of lion and leopard, so in going to a hide like this one, I posted Dabula Mbhele, my Zulu helper to keep a lookout. This day I had just settled with tripod and camera in position when I heard Dabula calling: “Nkosaan, Nkosaan”. Realising that something was amiss I went back to where he was. He was excited to have spotted a python curled up next to an aardvark hole sunning itself. We watched for a while and I got into position to film and then just touched the python with a twig, whereupon it disappeared as if you were pouring water down the hole. Typical of the bush, that you do see the unexpected. Over the course of a few days I went back to my reed hide and saw, as the one photo shows, a wildebeest herd standing under the tree waiting for the all clear before going down to water. After a while the older ones started nudging the yearlings and giving the odd push towards the water. When one eventually got to water safely the rest came running down. The wind held and I had a good time filming the wildebeest and then the odd zebra and impala. While waiting on this day I also had an excellent viewing of a hamerkop looking for prey in the water and a slender mongoose scuttled across my view. Sadly it is not possible to witness large herds of wildebeest drinking in Klaserie at present. This July there was only a group of four wildebeest in this area. Hopefully they will eventually breed up again.

By Ivan Gillatt

Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25 |17

Social media for safari conservation By Rob Maclean

ame viewing has not escaped the global trend of people wanting to share everything they are doing with their friends instantly. Some hark back to the good old days where the most modern piece of technology on a safari vehicle was the zoom lens on guests’ cameras. But, like it or not, most safari-goers now come fully armed with a digital camera, smartphone and tablet. And if social media is ultimately about showing off to your friends, then few things are going to make them more jealous than some spectacular wildlife photos, so it’s here to stay.

Social media: Friend or foe? There are a few tools out there that actually contribute to conservation. The sightings map and smartphone app, wildafricalive.com, harnesses these sharing instincts to enable safari destinations to market themselves globally and also generate data points to be used by conservation scientists. When a user adds a sighting to the live map, the species, its exact location, time, date, behaviour and (if provided) a photo are uploaded to an online database. Combined with the more than 14 000 sightings that have been generated in the last eight months, this data starts to paint a picture. All of this data feeds into the MammalMAP citizen science project. Species and location information reveal insights into population densities over time as well as distribution patterns. The photos can be analysed by speciesexperts to recognise individual animals or packs. This can be particularly useful for endangered species with individual

markings, such as leopard and cheetah, and large ranges, such as wild dog. So far, more than 140 species have been recorded using the app across seven African countries with more than 3 000 lion sightings having been reported in the Kruger Park alone. To avoid misuse by poaching syndicates, rhino sightings are never published.

A great help It’s not only about the quantitative data but individual sightings can help as well. We have had animal traps and dehorned rhino carcasses reported via the app as well as sightings of wild dog packs that escaped the Kruger, putting themselves in a very vulnerable position. We immediately alert the relevant wildlife protection authorities with the precise location so they can follow up as soon as possible. A lot of game lodges and reserves are already using social media in their marketing in the form of rangers’ blogs and by uploading photos to their Facebook page. With social media, content is king. The safari industry is exceptionally lucky in that it has the best content in the world and people love watching wildlife online. Half of the top 20 YouTube videos of all time are of animals. But most of them are of domestic cats and dogs. It should be our wild cats and dogs and elephants and meerkats, which are infinitely more interesting, that dominate that chart. The wildafricalive.com website is one platform for the industry to showcase their content globally. Thousands of visitors from around the world view the live sightings map every day.

Their new Facebook app enables any lodge to show a version of the live map that is zoomed in only on their local area, for example the Klaserie, on their own Facebook page. Furthermore, their smartphone app now allows users to share their sightings instantly with their Facebook and Twitter friends. So next time you see a guest pull out their iPad, consider this: The Battle of Kruger YouTube video has been viewed by more than 72 million people, providing millions of dollars of free marketing for Kruger Park. However, no one knows which lodge the maker stayed at. Perhaps your guest will record the next big hit, so make sure they mention you when they upload it!

18 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25

Butterfly small Story by Ian Sharp, photos by Ian and Allison Sharp

n the previous issue of the Klaserie Chronicle the Butterfly Big 5 (BBF) were presented. As there are so many exquisite smaller butterflies, identifying a Butterfly Small 5 (BSF) was considered a formality. Deciding on the candidates for the BSF honour has been taxing, as many display interesting behaviour, beautiful colouring or are fairly scarce and thus deserving of acceptance into our BSF hall of fame. Other than the larger butterflies, many of the small species are easily overlooked unless disturbed in passing at sites where they may be resting or feeding on nectar of some wildflower. Spotting the BSF will be more challenging than their larger counterparts and keen observation skills will be necessary. Because they are so small, members of this group can be easily consumed, a warning though: some are considered unpalatable and may therefore not be pleasant eating and all should thus preferably be rapidly expelled from the mouth. Previous mention was made that some 125 species of butterfly may occur in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve (KPNR) area, the majority of which are of the smaller varieties. Many show vivid blue upper wing colouring, some are seriously cryptic and very difficult to spot when sitting and one group in particular has predatory tendencies in the caterpillar phase. Aeronautical wizards bearing names such as swifts, skippers, playboys and hoppers require that one has a quick eye to follow their flight to perching spots. Deciding on representatives for the BSF once again had the wingspan as criteria with a limit of 50mm or less being applied. As with the BBF, to promote diversity, an attempt was once again made to select a single representative from a specific group (family or sub-family). As the sub-family Lycaeninae has the largest number of species, all of which have small wingspans, two representatives were selected from this group.

saffron sapphire

The successful candidates to be selected as part of the Butterfly Small 5 for the KPNR, in no particular order, are: Polka dot acraea Pardopsis punctatissima As indicated by the genus, this can be considered the leopard of the BSF. A beautiful, seldom seen butterfly with basal colouring of orange richly decorated with prominent black spotting, hence the name. A low and slow flyer, usually inhabiting grassland in the vicinity of rocky outcrops but also found in the fringes of forests or dense bush. Alights on grass or other small plants and feeds on flowering wild herbs. Some members of the violet family are the preferred larval food plants.

polka dot acraea

caterpillar can be found on sour plum species (Ximenia caffra and X. americana) where large ants aggressively defend these produces of honeydew. Other than most other sapphires, it flies slowly when patrolling a proclaimed territory in close proximity to the food plant. There is probably a bit of vanity involved as rapid flight would preclude observers from witnessing its paraded beauty. Dwarf blue Oraidium barberae The name is very descriptive as the dwarf blue is one of the smallest butterflies to be found in South Africa. A keen eye will be rewarded with a sighting of this elusive butterfly. The minute wings may only span a mere 10 12mm but if you are lucky it may still be spotted feeding on some wild flowers. The row of black and white apical spots on the underside of the hind wing are diagnostic and is differentiating when compared to the grass jewel that has orange colouring surrounding the apical spots. The upper wing colouring is an unimpressive bland brown-grey and not as striking as many other members of this family. dwarf blue

Saffron sapphire Iolaus pallene The first of the Lycaeninae butterfly family is the spectacular saffron sapphire. As its name indicates the butterfly is a rich saffron in colour, making it distinctive from all the other sapphires found in the area. The

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Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25 |19 Sulphur Orange Tip Colotis auxo A beautiful butterfly of sulphurous yellow colouring tipped with forewing apical orange that ends in a narrow black band. The sulphur orange tip male can easily be confused with the autumn vagrant (see BBF) that portrays similar colour patterns but lacking the black band. The female markings closely resemble that of other ‘orange tip’ butterflies. They can be found patrolling the areas around their larval food plants such as the pink cadaba (Cadaba termitaria) or shepherd’s tree (Boscia albitrunca). Differentiation does occur between the wet and dry seasons with the dry season forms having less prominent markings. sulphur orange tip

Spotted velvet skipper (Abantis tettensis) Adorned with splashes of colour reminiscent of a carnival costume, the spotted velvet skipper is part of a group of butterflies (Abantis species) that are all referred to as ‘paradise skippers’. The under-wing colouring is more spectacular than the upper side but fortunately the butterfly normally sits with the wings elevated above the body. They display a darting very fast flight with males

perching on prominent trees from where they protect their territories. Females are seldom seen but can have events where groups are found feeding on patches of flowers. Identifying a select group of members to represent the BSF has been completed. It should end here but there are many other small butterflies knocking at the door that could easily have been included in such an elite grouping.

African Wood White (Leptosia alcesta inalcesta) The ethereal flight of this beautiful butterfly is unmistakeable. Found in forested or riverine areas, the African wood white can be seen in deep shaded habitats slowly gliding between the undergrowth in search of flowers to feast on the nectar. Groups are often found where there is a African wood white

The reserve team A Butterfly Small 10 or even 15 could have been selected without batting an eye so a further three are listed below as a small guilty conscience fix. Let us call it the reserve team that stand in line for the honourable position as members of the BSF should one of the Top 5 fail to live up to its reputation by, for example, not appearing in the KPNR for the next decade. Pennington’s buff (Cnodontes penningtoni) A seldom seen butterfly due to the sedentary habits of their lifestyle. As a weak flyer the Pennington’s buff does not take to flight easily and the brown and amber flecked underside provides effective camouflage. Males may be seen in groups of three or four slowly circling Pennington’s buff

good source of nectar producing flowers. Easily approachable, this shimmering white butterfly also portrays a dark cell spot on the forewing. It can be confused with the whitemimic butterfly that looks similar and occurs in the same habitat. Morants orange (Parasmodes morantii) Another rapid flyer that is territorially arrogant. Males establish themselves on prominent hilltops intimidating anything that may fly past. Upper-wing patterning is basally dark brown flecked with rich orange markings. The yellow-orange underside has a single row of small sub-marginal spots. Can easily be confused with the axehead orange but fortunately this butterfly does not occur in the KPNR area. Mostly active during the late afternoon. Females are scarce and more often than not found sitting near sources of larval food plants.

spotted velvet skipper

Morants orange a tree or sitting in a group on a shaded twig. The bright yellow upper wings may draw your attention when slowly opened and closed shortly after coming to rest. In the sitting position the abdomen is raised perpendicularly between the wings adding to the deception.

CET says thank you for ongoing support to ... • Appelblaar Padstal- donated flowers and seedlings • Pick & Pay-donated food and cleaning supplies • Gay Wabeke- donated books and conservation magazines • Edenleo designs-discount on canvas printing • Tanya Zeelie- Assistance during HWS and development of HWS booklets

• Student volunteers – who gave up holiday time to work at KPNR Holiday workshops • Olande Stols-DHL Supply Chain • DHL Supply Chain volunteer staff • Meaningful Travels Abroad (MTA) volunteer groups • Westcoast 360° volunteer group • Atio- donated computer equipment

• Education First-donated computer equipment • The Green Savannah Tree Fund • Playground Creations • Izelle Louw – Donation of paint. • Margie Ballentine – Donation of food and blankets • SCS German exchange group- donated educational games

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20 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25

What’s biting in the KPNR

Sean Fairhead

Story and photos by Sean Fairhead and Wynand Uys

have been fishing from the time I could say the word fish. Well not exactly. My word for fish at a very young age was “ffrrrr”, but boy did I love catching them “ffrrrr’s”! The Klaserie River is a non-perennial river (it was perennial before human interference) but the fish life has adapted well to their habitat change and the remaining pools hold good numbers of fish in the winter. When the river flow improves in summer there is a lot of movement upstream into the Klaserie River from the Olifants River which is of course perennial. A number of fish species come up to spawn, whilst the access to additional untapped feeding grounds is also a major contributing factor. Except for the species mentioned

below I have also caught black bass and silver and common carp, which are exotic species that have unfortunately established themselves in the river. The most common species in these two rivers are: Sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus This is the most wellknown fish in the river and also the most common. They have strongly compressed bodies with large, depressed and heavily boned heads. The eyes are small but the mouth is large with broad bands of fine pointed teeth. Their standout feature is four pairs of long barbels or whiskers which are

used to locate food. They vary in colour from almost black to light brown, are often marbled in shades of olive and grey and can get as

Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25 | 21

big as 1.4m with the South African angling record at approximately 35kg. Breeding occurs in summer after rains and growth is rapid with individuals reaching 20cm within the first year. They can endure harsh conditions and are able to aestivate when their water source dries up, appearing again after rains. They are also capable of moving large distances overland. Being omnivores they eat almost anything they can swallow, including Egyptian goslings and baby crocodiles. Barbel are an important food source for many predators including man, leopard, crocodiles, fish eagles, herons and storks.

Mozambique Tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus

Largescale Yellowfish Labeobarbus marequensis

Predominantly silver to olive, yellowfish may also appear golden yellow depending on the turbidity of the water in which they occur. As the name implies these fish have large scales and, as with all yellowfish, have thick rubbery lips on a subterminal mouth which has two small pairs of barbels. An adult may attain a length of 50cm with the SA Angling record standing at 5.75kg. Yellowfish are partial to deep rocky pools below rapids where the current is strong, however they may also be found on sandy stretches of the river where there is a good flow rate. The diet of the adult Silver catfish fish is primarily carnivorous comprising Schilbe intermedius Ruppell aquatic insects, molluscs, crabs Known by many Largescale yellowfish Largescale yellowfish, juvenile and small fish. other common They breed names such as in spring and makriel, butterfish summer. and botterbaber, Many other these fish are silver in fish species colour with elongated occur in the river and compressed including tiger bodies which taper fish, Imberi, toward the tail. The banded tilapia, head is compressed, southern mouth with their mouth and brooder, bulldog, teeth resembling the Sharptooth catfish churchill, redeye sharptooth catfish. labeo, leaden Four fine pairs labeo, river of barbels make sardine, brown them impossible to squeaker, sawfin misidentify. suckermouth, The dorsal and shortspine pectoral fins have suckermouth, sharp serrated spines river goby, which cause intense bowstripe, pain if they penetrate east coast, the skin. Wynand Uys linespotted and Silver catfish attain three spot barbs. a length of 30cm conditions females may raise broods every and the national angling record stands at References: three to four weeks. approximately 1.2kg. Breeding occurs in Own observations Due to their fast growth and breeding summer after rains and they can live up to The Freshwater Fishes of the KNP behaviour they are used extensively in seven years. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; U. de V. Pienaar aquaculture and are an important source These omnivorous feed on anything they A Complete Guide to the Freshwater of food in commercial and subsistence can swallow, from sycamore figs to the Fishes of Southern Africa â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Paul Skelton rotting remains of crocodile prey carcasses. fisheries. Bream or kurper as everyone refers to them, are very common in the slower flowing parts of the river and can be seen in large shoals basking in shallow water close to the surface. Colouration varies with age, sex and environment with mature males becoming dark blue to almost black above and mature females generally yellowy olive with dark lateral markings. Adults attain a length of 40cm and the SA Angling record is approximately 3.5kg. These fish feed primarily on plant material, particularly filamentous green algae but will also eat insects, crustaceans and small fish. They breed at a very early age, often only six months old. In good

22 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25 Pieter Steenkamp

Eric van der Pieter SandeSteenkamp

sightings

African hawk eagle Manny Coreirea

Sean Fairhead

Rebecca Axcell Rebecca Axcell

Stefan Breuer

Phillip Breuer

Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25 | 23 John Gillatt, “Leave our lunch alone.”

Iwan Nel, ‘Snack time at Gomo

Stefan Breuer

Leeuloop innie Klaserie

p Pieter Steenkam

Pieter Steenkamp Pieter Steenkamp

Rebecca Axcell

Pieter Steenkamp

Rebecca Axcell

Pieter Steenkamp

24 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25

White-crested Helmet-shrikes Family ties that work

Story by Peter Lawson, photos by Jacques de Villiers and Navarre de Villiers

he Klaserie Private Nature Reserve (KPNR) has perfect habitat for fascinating groups of white-crested helmetshrikes (locally known as Umthimbakazane). They can be seen throughout the reserve in family groups of seven or more individuals. Colouring is black and white with a grey head and a yellow eye ring and they are very talkative, with a language of their own. In the breeding season, which starts in September, they are most likely encountered in broadleaf woodland vegetation where they nest. The nest is a small cup, neatly constructed of fine bark strips bound together with cobwebs which are conveyed to the nest site by draping it over the bristles on their foreheads (these exist specifically for this purpose). They usually choose trees with greyish bark to build their home and place their nests in a fork of a tree about 5 metres above the ground. The entire family consisting of brothers and sisters from successive broods, plus the dominant breeding pair, all take part in the nest construction. All this is supervised by the dominant female who is the matriarch. They all obey her instructions and there is no argument whatsoever. The breeding pair believes in privacy and is very discreet when mating takes place. They move away from the rest of the group and mate out of sight. Egg laying then takes place and the children from previous broods take turns in incubating while the rest of the family are out foraging. Should a predator such as a snake or hawk approach the nest, an alarm call is given by the incubating bird and the rest of the family return at once to distract the predator, leading it away from the nest. This is also the reason why white-crested helmet-shrikes are

not parasitized by cuckoos â&#x20AC;&#x201C; unique in shrikes. Once the eggs hatch the same procedure takes place and the entire family bring food for their new family members, while single birds will take turns to stay behind guarding the offspring. This will continue until the babies are fledged and leave the nest, but there is still more to this wonderful family cooperation. The babies are taught by their elder brothers and sisters how to find food and what they can eat. So when you are out there in the KPNR and you come across white-crested helmet-shrikes, take note of what they are doing and listen to the variance in their constant chattering. They are a true marvel of nature and we can all learn from them.

Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25 | 25

True love lessons from Southern yellow-billed Hornbills Story by Peter Lawson, photo by Jacques de Villiers

well known and common bird in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve (KPNR), particularly in Acacia woodland, but also in broadleaved woodland is the Southern yellow-billed Hornbill. There are a number of species occurring in the area and though it is probably the best known of all, it is often overlooked as a species of interest. One interesting thing about this bird is that the enormous down curved yellow beak is not for protection as one might imagine, nor is it designed for digging for food. In fact it is hollow and soft so would not serve either of these purposes. It is not just for showing off either but has a specific use when it comes to the unique nesting habits of this special bird. These birds pair for life and they believe in working together, without argument or disagreement. Breeding takes place in the summer and the maternity ward is carefully chosen by Mrs Hornbill. Her devoted husband only looks on at this stage as his work comes later. The nest site is a natural hole in a tree and she inspects it carefully for space and also ensures there is a ‘chimney’ above the nest chamber where she and/or her offspring can hide should there be any chance of attack by predators. She is very fussy about her nesting accommodation and to suit her it must be reasonably spacious. Once she has chosen her maternity ward she carefully blocks all holes, other than the main entrance, by plastering them with a paste made from excrement, mud and debris inside the hollow. She also smoothes the sides of the nest cavity and cleans out unwanted debris. Hubby is still just an onlooker while all this takes place and agrees wholeheartedly with everything she does. He keeps a low profile and never tells her she is not doing things correctly as that is her department. When all this is finally completed to her satisfaction she stays within the chamber and seals herself in by blocking the entrance in the same manner she did with the other slits and holes. Her devoted husband now assists by bringing her mud and excrement but she does the work.

He does, on occasion, help with plastering the exterior. A narrow vertical slit is left open so hubby can feed her and the chicks once they hatch and that is why that enormous beak is so necessary. The narrow entrance slit is a unique adaptation to keep predators from entering the nest. It is just wide enough for their beaks to fit through when food is brought to the nest by the male. Once she is locked inside she moults all her tail feathers and usually wing feathers too, so as to make more space in the confined nest chamber. Contrary to popular belief she does not do this to line the nest and she actually discards the moulted feathers through the entrance slit. The devoted male periodically brings bits of grass and other plant material to make the nest chamber soft and comfortable for her. Her eggs are white and rounded, with good reason. Colour and decorative patterns have no function in the darkness of a hole, and the light colour makes it easy for an incubating bird to glimpse where her eggs are to avoid stepping on and breaking them. Furthermore, a rounded egg is mechanically stronger than a pointed one, retains heat more efficiently and is easier to turn in order to prevent adhesions between the membranes. The female stays locked in her nest chamber during the entire incubation period, until the chicks are large enough to stay on their own. She then breaks out to rejoin her loving husband and the chicks reseal the entrance chamber themselves. Now both mom and dad bring food in the form of insects, spiders, scorpions and berries to feed the hungry, growing chicks. Prior to this, the male did all the feeding work himself and lost weight during the process – it’s not an easy task to feed his spouse and growing youngsters all on his own. Furthermore, his tail feathers also suffer damage during this period from propping himself up on the tree trunk when he pushes food through the entrance slit but he does all of this with great dedication and love. The chicks break out of their prison once they are old enough to survive on their own.

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MTA volunteers show work is love made visible

CET has formed a partnership with Meaning ful Travel Abroad (MTA) where we invite volunteer groups, mainly from North America, to our adopted schools and involve them in various projects at the schools. Story by Corné Havenga, photos by Esté Gerber

his winter we hosted two MTA volunteer groups at Seganyane Primary School. The first group of energetic volunteers arrived on 16 July and were given different tasks to improve and expand the already established eco village. The most challenging task was to build a new compost area and the young men of the group didn’t hesitate to get stuck in. They proved to be natural brick layers while the young women preferred the more

artistic activities and added splashes of colour to old oil drums, which will now be used as dustbins on the school ground. The second group arrived on 7 August and were pleasantly surprised by the work their friends had completed just a few weeks before their arrival. Being motivated by the work already done, the seven young women and one young man were posed with the very challenging task of erecting a new fence to cordon off the recently established compost and recycling area. The group was not only extremely keen to start, but

also more than competent and the fence seemed to fly up within minutes. After erecting the fence the group painted it with beautiful bright colours to add to the vibrant look and feel of the eco village. It is always a great privilege hosting volunteer groups from all over the world and sharing the common goal of establishing a spirit of compassion and camaraderie. CET would like to thank the MTA groups for assisting us in the continuous expansion of the eco village project and the positive interaction with the CET team and learners.

Valuable lessons at senior MAD CHARITY Leadership Summit Story by Mashudu Mutshaeni

he northern region MAD students made our way to Cape Town in July where we attended the senior MAD CHARITY leadership summit at JVR consultancy. During the workshop we were educated on self awareness, stress management, decision making and assertiveness. After the long bus trip to the camp venue, our first camp activity was community service. As part of our community service activity we packed gift bags for less fortunate children containing items such as soap, a face cloth, toothbrush, chocolate, a sandwich and more. Once we completed packing them we had the privilege of delivering them to the kids. We were very privileged to have had Russell from Kotter International join us during the summit to share some of his knowledge with us. He taught us many new lessons concerning

the business environment such as the sectors involved in starting a business and at the end of his presentation we were given a group task to come up with a business proposal. CV development was another very valuable exercise. I for one, had never thought about putting a CV together because I thought I was still too young but going through CV development really helped me realise the importance of creating a CV now and just updating it as time goes by because you never know what opportunities might come your way. The outdoor activities we partook in were archery and treasure hunt. I enjoyed the treasure hunt the most because even though our team didn’t win, we still had a lot of fun doing the activity. The 2013 MAD Leadership Summit was truly an amazing learning experience. I personally found the workshop extremely useful as it taught me to think before I act.

Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25 | 27

Foreign students help in Acornhoek Story by Matt Agranat, photo by Esté Gerber

estcoast Connection and 360° Student Travel, a Canadian-based student travel company, visited Children’s Eco Training (CET) during a 25 day community service trip to South Africa. They spent four inspiring days working with the rural community of Acornhoek. Below is the experience of trip member and community service aficionado Matt Agranat. Working with CET was a truly remarkable experience. Under the guidance of Corné Havenga and Winky Mokgope we were given the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the rural community of Acornhoek. As we laboured alongside members of the community and the students of the school, we not only developed practical skills, but also gained a newfound appreciation for the resilience of the people we helped. During four days we spent with CET we constructed keyholeshaped garden beds, erected a fence and breathed new life into a pre-school by restoring their playground. Day one was scheduled for the restoration of the school and playground. With brushes in hand and paint at our feet, we divided into various groups and began working. We began by providing the playground with a variety of colours, painting the black tires bordering the area and splattering trashcans with creative designs. While the outside was beautified, others worked on

revitalising the dulled walls of the classrooms with a refreshing blue coat and murals of an assortment of animals from the South African wilderness. At the end of day one, we had completed more than we expected and looked forward to the days ahead. Our second day was devoted to creating keyholes. With assistance from the volunteers, we dug holes, made cement, and created areas that could be utilised for cultivating various crops. It was astounding to work alongside the members of the community, watching them work with ease as we struggled to mix the cement and lift the dirt. It appeared as if our service was simply to provide some comic relief for the workers as they watched us struggle with the heavy lifting. At the end of the day we left with sore muscles, but grinned with pride, overcome with a sense of satisfaction in our accomplishments. The last two days working with CET were spent erecting a fence around the border of the eco garden that we created. After planting support beams, we had to wrap wire around the outline of the fence. We then cut wooden poles and weaved them through the wire. The design was not only practical, but also very creative and resourceful. No longer were goats a threat to our new garden. All that was left was to add some colour to the bland brown enclosure with a simple pattern of solid hues. Within four days of working at the school, we had accomplished our task, and we left knowing that we made a difference. For more information on Westcoast Connection & 360° Student Travel visit westcoastconnection.com

28 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25

BEFORE

Green Savannah Tree sponsors Story by Corné Havenga, photos by Esté Gerber

he Groen family have been very committed to CET projects since their first visit to Seganyane Primary School in 2011. The family helped with the initial establishment of the Eco village project and helped build some of the first keyhole gardens at the school. During this visit they realised that the school and neighbouring crèche, Teedi Crèche, were in dire need of toilet facilities. The primary school had to make use of long drop toilets and the crèche had no toilet facilities or running water at the time of their visit. The family subsequently established the Green Savannah Tree fund and actively started fundraising to build new toilets at the schools. Since there was no running water at either the school or crèche, the family asked CET to come up with a sustainable solution for the problem and enviro loo units were installed at Teedi Crèche in 2012. These waterless toilets use a natural biological process to break down human waste into dehydrated compost-like material. This new addition to the crèche improved the children’s hygiene

AFTER

new toilets at Seganyane situation immensely and the community members were extremely grateful for the new facilities at the local crèche. Since it is a basic human right for the children to have access to sanitation which is safe, hygienic and provides privacy as well as ensures dignity, CET and the family immediately started planning in order to install similar toilets at Seganyane Primary. The project timeline was determined and prioritised on the CET project list and with this fundamental human right as a driving force, the Green Savannah Tree fund raised funds to build eight new enviro loo units at Seganyane. The project commenced in the first week of July and was completed by the second week of August. The school now boasts with brand new toilet facilities for the learners and we hope that the improvement of hygiene conditions at the school will minimise the widespread prevalence of illness such as diarrhoea and gastroenteritis. CET would like to thank the Green Savannah Tree Fund for their continued support and enabling us to provide learners at our adopted schools with access to toilet facilities which will not only improve their health, but guarantee their dignity whilst attending school.

Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25 | 29

Up close and personal at Moholoholo

A kind sponsorship from Michael Johnson from the USA recently enabled someone nominated by Children’s Eco Training (CET) to volunteer at the Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre for five days. Trico Chiloane, one of the CET holiday workshop trainers took the position and enjoyed every minute. He shares his unique experience with us. Photos by Esté Gerber.

“

After arriving at Moholoholo early in the morning, I was shown where I will sleep and told of all the safety rules. My first task was to go and feed Melmen, the giraffe with milk. When the milk was done the giraffe started to go after me, trying to kick me, because he wanted more milk. I had to run away from it, it was so cool! We then went on to feed two honey badgers named Stoffel and Hamie. They each were given 10 chicks which were frozen and had to be defrosted first with hot water. At about 8:00am all the volunteers went to the forest camp for breakfast. After breakfast, Jan Last one of the staff members divided us into groups of four. There were 16 students from abroad. Places like Belgium, United Kingdom, Canada and the New York in the USA. I was the only South African. Our first task was to feed and clean the vultures’ enclosures. It was a nice experience cleaning the enclosure while the vultures were keeping their eyes on us. We scrubbed off droppings, a task which was not so exciting, and also cleaned water bowls using biocide, before filling them up with water. At about 3:00pm some vets came in to do birth control and two lions were darted. That was the most exciting thing in my life ever! But as they were about to do their work on the lions, it was found that both lions might be pregnant, so they didn’t do birth control as it would have bad implications on the unborn cubs. Brian Jones then showed us the claws and the canines of the lions. Later, on our 4:00pm shift, it was time for feeding and filling up water bowls if necessary.

We had to feed owls, honey badgers and guinea fowls, as well as clean the clinic. The following day was another exciting moment. A leopard was darted for tests and my fellow students and I had to carry it on a stretcher after it was sedated and put it on a table. The scientists took blood and urine for tests. We were then given time to take pictures and took the leopard back to its cage. This was the most awesome moment of my life! Of the day-to-day tasks, the job I enjoyed most was in the aviary, feeding birds and cleaning the animals’ cages. Another exciting thing was to get up close with Xanandi the cheetah. While touching it, it decided to grab my leg and rip my shoe open with its claws. I was very, very scared. Jan stopped the cheetah before it spoiled my mood. When the other guys played with the cheetah it was calm and seemed to enjoy their company, for me it was kind of unfair because I wanted to play more but it wouldn’t allow me. I want to thank Children’s Eco Training, Moholoholo and Mr Michael Johnson for this opportunity. It was such an honour to be chosen to go do the work and will help me in my field of study. I have realised that these creatures need us and we need them too as they are part of our heritage. I benefited a lot from the bush talks conducted by Jan Last where he told us everything we would like to know about the bush and conservation. I’ve gained a lot of new knowledge and my stay there was remarkable.

Advert kindly sponsored by an anonymous donor

Contact Corné @ 082 713 8778 or corne@ecochildren.co.za Buy a uniform - consisting of a shirt, shorts or a dress, a jersey, shoes and socks.

30 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25

Save the birds: Celebrate Secretary Day

t may no longer be politically correct to call your assistant a secretary, and while we may not be able to rename them assistant birds or PA-birds, we can certainly save our avian secretarybirds from looming extinction. A token gift for your assistant on Secretary’s Day, Wednesday 4 September, could mean a great deal for secretarybird conservation. In 2011 BirdLife South Africa launched a scientific project to study the Secretarybird. The aim of the study is to determine the preferred habitat of secretarybirds and dispersal patterns of juveniles, as well as to identify the threats responsible for the high mortality recorded in these birds. Since the start of the project, three secretarybirds have been tracked. The results, based on these three birds, indicate that the young birds tend to stay around their nest site for a short while before dispersing to an area far away. One of the tracked birds, named BLiNG, was fitted with a tracking device earlier this year and it travelled more than 175 km in one day. It took off from the nest site in Limpopo and settled a few days later about 80 km south of the Makgadigadi pans in Botswana. The second bird, called Taemane, moved all the way from Warden to the KwaZulu-Natal south coast before moving inland again. It seems to have settled in the vicinity of Ixopo. BirdLife South Africa would like to track the movements of more secretarybirds. The sophisticated tracking devices are costly, with a single device in the region of R15 000. Many other costs, such as getting to remote places to fit the devices to nestlings, also need to be covered. For this, BirdLife South Africa needs your support. For your R500, you will receive an elegant card for your secretary, as well as updates on the movements of the birds you are sponsoring. For more information and maps about BLiNG and Taemane’s movements, or to download a donation form, visit www.birdlife.org.za.

Impala and the annual autumn rut Story by Judy Meeser, photo by Sasha Strauss

he impala rut seemed more pronounced this year and to have gone on for longer. Certainly the rutting season was very evident. Like many subjective issues this may have just been a perception that a few of us felt and discussed at length. Impala, our most common antelope, often tend to be regarded as uninteresting until they demand our attention with the very vocal and obvious rutting season. As autumn arrives, impala males of four years and older begin to respond to the seasonal collective oestrus cycles of the adult females. They begin to challenge each other in an effort to gain and hold a territory. They spar and lock horns in a battle of dominance and chase each other relentlessly. Unsuccessful males later regroup into bachelor herds and stay away from places where territories have been claimed. Territorial rams start rounding up females and herding them into their territories. They spend a lot of time and effort chasing out other rams and young males by using threatening body language such as head nodding and a stiff legged strut while raising their tails and sticking out their head, neck and tail horizontally. The rams rub their foreheads on tree stems using a secretion from a gland to advertise their status and also by horning vegetation. They become very vocal, letting out

up to three explosive snorts followed by many guttural grunts. To the uninitiated it is very hard to believe that this sound is made by such elegant animals. The sound can carry up to 2km in the cooler autumn air and in the evenings. It becomes a frenzy of territorial rams proclaiming their status and chasing out challenging males and herding in willing females. Receptive ewes are mounted repeatedly for about 10 seconds at a time after which the ram will emit a series of snorts and grunts. With all this activity and given the commonality of these antelope it is a wonder that so few people have seen impala copulating. Territorial impala rams become so preoccupied during the height of the rut that they often fall prey to opportunistic predators and have been known to chase each other onto the road in front of oncoming traffic on the public road network in the Kruger Park, causing chaos and sometimes accidents. The males tend to hold onto a territory for a few days only, normally up to about eight days until he is chased out by a challenger and retreats to gather his strength and later tries to reclaim his territory. They tend to lose body condition too with so little time for feeding between chasing out interlopers, herding the ewes and hopefully mating. Old, Afrikaans folks I have met often used to refer to young men who are strutting their stuff as “rammetjie uitnek” to tease them about their courting efforts and I believe there are some similarities. It’s all good to watch.

Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25 | 31

What a wonderful world Story by Tanya Zeelie, photos by EstĂŠ Gerber

he new, structured holiday workshop syllabus showed its worth during the second holiday workshop of 2013. In a workshop that focused on trees, shrubs and grasses it was encouraging to see a whole new world open for trainers and children alike. With a record attendance of 303 children everyone loved learning about the uniqueness of South African grasslands as well as their importance in our ecosystem. Building on the previous holiday workshop, trees, shrubs and grasses were covered and studied in more depth this time around. The general differences of each species were identified as well as each oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s particular importance in our ecosystem. The training covered the unique characteristics of grasses, trees and shrubs, the identification of five different grasses, interesting facts about grasslands, grasses as indicators, grassland ecosystems, differences between trees and shrubs and the importance of these differences. The interest showed by the trainers was extremely encouraging. They asked question upon question and were amazed by the stories that nature can tell by simply observing grasses, trees and shrubs. By the end of the training, the trainers were able to hear what earth is trying to tell us by looking at grasses as indicators and realised that as humans, it is our own responsibility to protect our biodiversity. During the workshop constructive games were applied with both trainers and children to test their knowledge and incorporate a fun aspect into learning. The games improved the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s communication and teamwork, while the art projects later in the day allowed their creative juices to flow in order to help them remember the lessons learnt during the day. The week was yet again a great success filled with fun, laughter and most importantly, adding another puzzle piece toward the understanding of our ecosystem masterpiece.

32 | Klaserie Chronicle/Kroniek no. 25

Education First donated 37 used computers to CET. These will be used for an IT project at the CET adopted schools. The project is currently in the planning phase. “We are extremely grateful for this generous kickstart to the project,” says Corné Havenga, CEO of CET.

We need books! And we hope YOU can help.

Advert kindly sponsored by an anonymous donor

Contact Corné

@ 082 713 8778 or corne@ecochildren.co.za Buy a uniform - consisting of a shirt, shorts or a dress, a jersey, shoes and socks.

The Seganyane Primary School Library needs age appropriate books and we are extending their appeal to you. If you would like to donate any books, magazines or games suitable for children aged 5 to 13 please contact Corné at 082 713 8778 or corne@ecochildren.co.za Thank you!

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Dates to remember •

September HWS: Teachers’ training dates 20 and 21 September/ Workshop dates 23 - 26 September Theme: WILD FLOWERS and SUCCULENTS (The role flowers play in an ecosystem, pollination, the definition of succulents, how succulents differ from non-succulents, their main characteristics etc.)

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December HWS: Teachers’ training dates 5 and 6 December/ workshop dates 9 - 12 December Theme: FRUITS and VEG generated from plants (Why do plants have fruits or veg, the differences between fruits and veg, organic fruit and veg, domestic land use for the fruit and veg etc.)

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